The invention generally relates to window safety bars and fire escapes, and more particularly to a unitary window safety bars and exterior fire escape ladder, and in which there is no loss of effectiveness of purpose and use in either category due to the other.
The prior art teaches combinations with similar purposes to put in building window casings, but in which the effectiveness of each part of the combination is reduced by the other both in purpose and use. Thus the effectiveness of purpose of the window safety bars is reduced when anyone outside a building can release the window safety bars in the window casings thereof, and the effectiveness of the exterior fire escape ladder is reduced when everyone inside the building cannot release the window safety bars. The effectiveness in use of said combinations as a fire escape ladder is reduced when access thereto is physically dangerous and difficult for the elderly, infirm, sedentary, and women, the last because of the type of clothing normally worn.
In the following references, Scholer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,629,541 teaches a safety metal grill that is locked in place and can only be used as a fire escape when the possessor of the key for the lock is present. Also the grill is pivoted to a window sill for swinging outwardly and downwardly therefrom as a fire escape ladder and thereby requiring a user to crawl out on the sill and half hanging thereover to reach backward with a foot to find a ladder rung.
Momo, U.S. Pat. No. 1,072,624 teaches a window railing lattice extendable downwardly from just above a window sill or swung outwardly therefrom for poor access.
Scherrer, U.S. Pat. No. 956,183 and 573,165 teach swinging casements with difficult access similar to Momo and requiring a 90.degree. turn with one backward handhole.
Bessier, U.S. Pat. No. 269,377 and Chipley, U.S. Pat. No. 145,844 also teach swinging fire escape ladders, all except Chipley swinging normal to a window casing, and Chipley teaching shutters swinging 180.degree. thereto, all posing risk of falling to gain access.
The invention teaches a unitary window safety bars and fire escape ladder for either use by anyone inside the window of a building in which it is installed. As an exterior fire escape ladder, easy access for a person within the building is provided from a standing position on a window sill facing forward and holding with both hands to horizontal side supports by taking a short step forward to a vertical ladder cantilevered outwardly from the building and descending between building and ladder to similar ladders in lower windows until the ground is reached, an escape well within the abilities of all ambulatory persons.
A second embodiment of the invention for a one story building only teaches the same spacing between safety bars and ladder rungs and backward access from standing position on a window sill with angled frame sides providing handrails and descent facing the building to the ground as in using a leaning conventional ladder.